Tag Archives: lemon zest

In the summer, I love fresh basil pesto over pasta. In the winter, basil is not as readily available… so I made this wintertime pesto using a sundried tomato base instead. I added a few different flavors by using cashews and topping it with lemon zest and goat cheese… delicious! Hope you enjoy this winter time treat.

Sundried Tomato and Cashew Pesto

Pieces:

8 ounces sundried tomatoes, drained

1 tbsp. olive oil

one third cup cashews

one third cup basil

one half cup coconut milk

1 tsp. garlic

one half cup pasta water

pepper to taste

1 tsp. lemon zest

4 tbsp. goat cheese

1 tsp. chopped basil to top with when plated

handful walnuts

Process:

Cook your favorite gluten free pasta until done, reserving one half cup of the pasta water before draining.

I recently made a huge diet discovery… my body can tolerate goat cheese! There is some “guess and check” when it comes to having food allergies and discovering what your body can and cannot tolerate. Having a dairy allergy means that I avoid dairy, but goat milk is not often considered a traditional “dairy” in our diet. So, I did some “guess and check” and tried goat cheese on a salad… no reaction. Just to be sure, I tried it again and still had success! This has re-opened several foods to me and I am eager to see what I can do with this rediscovered food.

To celebrate, my mom made a pasta side dish with goat cheese on top (among other wonderful flavors). With this pasta base, there are so many possibilities… pair it with fish (as we did), chicken, pork, or even as a cold pasta salad. The flavors are bold and delicious!

Walnut and Goat Cheese Pasta

Pieces:

one box of your favorite gluten free pasta, reserving one cup of the pasta water

one onion

one half cup chopped walnuts

one jar roasted red pepper, drained and cut into small pieces (or you can roast your own and chop)

2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

one quarter cup chopped parsley

2 tbsp. lemon zest

one quarter cup goat cheese

rosemary, for garnish

2 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Process:

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, chop the onion. Add it to a saute pan with the olive oil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Put over low heat, stirring until it caramelizes.

Toast the chopped walnuts in another saute pan, just for a few minutes over low heat. Just to bring out some flavor.